Chapter 11 Notes: The Triumphs and Travails of

Jeffersonian Republic
Federalist and Republican Mudslingers
-

Federalists have a lot of haters from the Alien and Sedition Acts
o Damaged by Adams not declaring war against France
Raised a bunch of taxes and built a good navy
Now no reason to justify the spending
o John Adams known as the Father of the American Navy
Federalists started bad rumors about Jefferson and having sex with his slaves

The Jeffersonian Revolution of 1800

-

Thomas Jefferson won election of 1800 with a close call against Adams
o Technically he and Aaron Burr tied for presidency
Went to House of Representatives and was deadlocked for
months
Finally some were convinced to pick Jefferson
The Revolution of 1800
o Peaceful transfer of power (Federalists stepped down angrily but
peacefully)
o Republicans were more of the peoples party compared to the
Federalists

Responsibility Breeds Moderation

-

On March 4, 1801 Thomas Jefferson became president

o In the new capital of Washington D.C.
o He was simple and frugal and unconventional
o Jefferson found book theories work different in real life politics
o He also didnt dismiss too many Federalists from office
Even though they were not his party
Helped the transition of power from one party to another

Jeffersonian Restraint
-

Went back and reversed some of what the Federalists did

o Pardoned those punished under the Sedition Act
o Returned the years needed for an immigrant to become a citizen from
14 to 5
Left the Hamilton system intact
o Besides getting rid of the excise tax
o Absorbed a lot of the major Federalists programs
Such as the Bank of the United States

The Dead Clutch of the Judiciary

-

The Judiciary Act

o Passed by the Federalists in their last day of domination in Congress in
1801

Created new judgeships with Federalists judges who had to serve for
life
Chief Justice John Marchall
o Was a Federalists all his life after serving in the war and saw drawbacks
of no central authority
In 1804 Jefferson tried to impeach Supreme Court justice Samuel Chase
o Vote got to Senate but there were not enough votes to kick him out
o To this day, no attempt to alter the Supreme Court had been tried with
impeachment
o

Jefferson, a Reluctant Warrior

-

Jefferson had a fear of a strong, large, standing military

o He reduced them to 2500 men
o Navies were also reduced
Pirates of the Barbary States were looting U.S. ships
o Jefferson didnt know whether to fight or not
o Reluctantly sent the small navy to the shores of Tripoli to stop the
fighting
o Peace came years later in 1805
o The mobile gunboats used in Tripoli fascinated Jefferson
He built about 200 more of them

The Louisiana Godsend

-

In 1800 Napoleon convinced the king of Spain to cede the Louisiana territory
to France
In 1802 the Spanish took away the right of deposit in the Mississippi River
o Farmers depended on this to float their goods down the river
o Farmers wanted to go to New Orleans to violently get back the land
This would have created war
In 1803 James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston sent to France
o To buy New Orleans and as much land to the east of the river
Only spend $10 million at the most
o Napoleon offered New Orleans and all of Louisiana and land west of it
Abandoned dream of French North American empire
Rebellion in Haiti that had killed many French
Needed cash to restore his war with Britain
Sold for 15 million
The Louisiana Purchase finalized on April 30, 1803
o Jefferson had an issue on his hands
Constitution said nothing about purchasing foreign land
Decided to go through on deal because it was such a good deal
He was using a loose interpretation
o Federalists opposed the purchase (using a strict interpretation this
time)
Afraid that more states meant more farmers and more
Republicans
o The Senate approved the purchase after Jeffersons conviction

This decision doubled the size of the Unites States

Louisiana in the Long View

-

The purchase created a precedent of purchasing foreign territory

William Clark and Meriwether Lewis to explore the new land
o Sacajawea helped them explore for 2 years
Would go all the way to Oregon and the Pacific
o Others would also explore the land in coming years
Zebulon Pike in 1805-06

The Aaron Burr Conspiracies

-

The Federalists were losing power in the government and wanted it back
o Schemed with Aaron Burr to make New England and New York from the
union
o Hamilton found out about the scheme and tried to stop Burr
Burr challenged him to a duel and Hamilton had a reputation to
uphold
Hamilton refused to shoot and Burr shoot him in the head
o Burr arrested for Treason in 1806 but was eventually let go
Louisiana Purchase was creating a western sense of loyalty to the federal gov.

A Precarious Neutrality
-

Jefferson won presidency again in 1804

France had just renewed its war with Britain and brought new issues
o American trade sank ever lower from this
o In 1806 London issued the Orders in Council
Closed ports under French control to all foreign shipping
o Napoleon captured all ships heading to British ports
Infuriated the Americans

The Hated Embargo

-

Jefferson resorted to an embargo to stop seizers of ships

o He didnt see that America relied on the other nations goods
The Embargo Act of 1807
o No exports to foreign nations from the U.S.
o Deserted docks, rotting ships, and hurt New England merchants
o The goods were piling up
o Illegal trade skyrocketed in 1808
Congress repealed the act on March 1, 1809 and replaced with NonIntercourse Act
o Traded with everyone but France and England
o Still hurt America because they were their #1 trading partners
Federalists regained some of their power
Americans opened some more factories
o Would get the Industrial Revolution started

Madisons Gamble

James Madison took presidency on March 4, 1809

Congress passed Macons Bill No. 2
o If France and Britain remove restrictions the U.S. would trade with
them again
Napoleon agreed to do so and Madison accepted because he
was desperate for trade
Napoleon lied and didnt life restrictions
Made America seem to be entered on the side of France in the
war

Tecumseh and the Prophet

-

In 1811, new politicians took the place of older politicians

o They didnt like the Indian threat on the frontier
Young politicians called War Hawks
Indians had slowly watched Americans moving onto their sacred land
o Two Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and the Prophet convinced others
the white man was bad
General William Henry Harrison took them out on Nov. 7, 1811
Tecumseh killed at the Battle of Thames in 1813
Broke the Indian dream of confederacy
o The Creek Indians crushed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814
Cleared all the east of the Mississippi of Indians
o War Hawks wanted Indian bases in Canada wiped out where the British
were
War against Britain declared in 1812 but America was very
disunified about it

Mr. Madisons War

-

Mad at the British for the seizing of so many ships and sailors
o Canada was a very tempting prize
New England didnt want the war
o Federalists opposed the war
Sided more with Britain
If Canada was conquered there is more land and more
Republicans
Nation became divided when it came to the war
o The north against war and the West and South for war